Beach Mirages

[crisscross]

Not sure if this is best part of forum, but here goes

I am slightly puzzled as to how this phenomenon arises, but quite like the slightly surrealist results. Anyone else played with similar? I can see that a stretch of hot sand or shingle can cause turbulence in the air and the out-of-focus effect above the mirage is expected. However I wonder how a virtual surface flat enough to reflect arises. Also the heat wasn't overwhelming, in fact for the last one it was distinctly cold.



Holkham beach westwards, low tide; no water there!



towards Blakeney Point, eastwards; that's the observation cabin on the dunes.



Towards Blakeney Eye, westwards; that's the shelter in the car park on the Cley side at the right.

[thunder]

It only needs a fairly small temperature difference to make a thin layer of air (a few millimetres is enough) refract light rays enough to bend them so you see the sky - but of course you do need a fairly flat surface (like the sandy beach) for it to give the appearance of a pool of water. I am sure if you asked the internet "How are mirages formed?" you would get a clearer and more technical explanation!

henrya

[crisscross]

Originally Posted by thunder

I am sure if you asked the internet "How are mirages formed?" you would get a clearer and more technical explanation!

henrya

Thank you Henrya....mmmm....this article does try to demystify a bit
Mirages and Green Flashes, but I think my turn of mind is more aesthetic and I veered off onto Mila Zincova'a pics and poems
Fog Shadow Green Flash Great White Sharks

Maybe what is happening here is that the wind blowing across cuts the warm air pockets in the hollows off pretty sharply hence the predominance of mirror effect.

Here is 1 more

[crisscross]

sorry the last one has been censored out of main Gallery, so here it is creeping back in by the back door